Bill > H5016

This bill establishes a dedicated "Midwifery Workforce Development Fund" to support the education, training, and retention of midwives, including providing financial assistance for students, offering loan forgiveness programs, and funding local educational initiatives. It also mandates that insurance providers, including the Group Insurance Commission, pay certified nurse-midwives and licensed certified professional midwives at the same rate as physicians for comparable services, and that licensed freestanding birth centers receive payment rates equivalent to hospitals for their services, including a negotiated facility fee. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Public Health to develop specific licensing requirements for birth centers, waive plan review fees for those facing financial hardship, and establish a system for collecting data on community births (births planned outside of hospitals, including those transferred to hospitals) for quality improvement and research purposes, while ensuring the confidentiality of individual data.

Health and Social Services

Joint Committee on Financial Services (Joint)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5016